"The Love Guru" is a crass, offensive comedy that relies on juvenile based humor to be funny. In other words, it's a typical Mike Myers movie. Everything you either loved or hated about Austin Powers finds itself with a middle eastern makeover in this 2008 tale about a guru (Myers) hired to assist hockey player Darren Roanoke(Romany Malco) with his love life and improve his game.
The ridiculousness of the plot and copious sex jokes aside, one of the worst crimes this movie commits is that Oscar winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley turns in an horrifically embarrassing performance as Guru Tugginmypudha. (no, really.)
Unlike the other ex SNL actor Adam Sandler and his middle Eastern hero Zohan, I went in to see "The Love Guru" with absolutely zero expectations. As in the past, one kind of has to check their brain at the door. What made Wayne of "Wayne's World" and Austin Powers of "Austin Powers" so successful was the audience willingly did this.
In "The Love Guru", the familiar path seemed milked dry of any residual humor.
Hired by the lovely but cursed Toronto Maple Leafs owner Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba), The Guru Pitka leaves his cozy Ashram in Los Angeles to travel to Toronto as Guru to the team and Roanoke in particular. The Guru, after finding some success serving his bumper sticker philosophy to the world, has really only one goal: make sure Roanoke is transformed and the Leafs win the Stanley Cup so Pitka can earn a coveted spot on the Oprah Show. This would be his big chance to finally best his mega successful rival, Deepak Chopra.
It's a pretty self serving goal for an enlightened guy claiming to be a guru, but therein lies the genius of the theme to accept one's self. The Guru Pitka must reconcile his training of self realization with his desire to be universally loved and admired.
I, who expected nothing, was pleasantly surprised the filmmakers snuck that in there amidst urine soaked mop fights and penis jokes.
First and foremost, "The Love Guru" is a comedy. You will most likely laugh at some of the physical humor, gross sight gags and even one line groaners - even to spite yourself. The scene with the guard rooster in particular is Myers comedy gold.
Justin Timberlake, who plays Jacques "Le Coq" Grande, Roanoke's rival, turns in a surprising performance that trades his sexy pop star image for unabashed silliness. Stephen Colbert also steals Myers comic thunder a bit as the drug addicted sports announcer who can play straight man and comic in the same scene.
There are some impressive celebrity cameos including Jessica Simpson, Val Kilmer, Deepak himself and even Oprah. There is also a very funny scene where the object of Pitka's greeting "Mariska Hargitay" makes an appearance.
Mike Myers co-wrote this screenplay with fairly new writer Graham Gordy, and unlike a lot of Saturday Night alum films, "The Love Guru" for all its silliness does not feel like it's moving from sketch to sketch as it's moving from scene to scene. There is a plot, nay a theme, and one especially impressive set up and pay off for the climatic scene at the final game for the Stanley Cup.
That "The Love Guru" is the first directorial outing for Marco Schnabel is even more impressive. Even though the movie felt familiar, it still felt fresh - something I attribute to the filmmakers, some of them fresh to the movie making process themselves.
Unlike the third Austin Powers installment which felt phoned in, this movie demonstrated a little more heart and soul - more intimacy (or "Into Me I See" - "TM"). And unbelievably, under all the gags, there's a message. No, really.
"The Love Guru" will not win any Oscars and Deepak Chopra can rest easy that there is no way a Guru Pitka could dethrone him as enlightened Guru to the masses. I rate it way below Wayne and the second Austin Powers movie, but pegs way above "Austin Powers: Goldmember".
For those Mike Myers fans still willing to check your brain at the door - "The Love Guru" awaits you.
Mariska Hargitay.